An analysis of data from Dublin Region Homeless Executive figures show that leaving direct provision is the top reason given for single persons seeking emergency accommodation in almost every month of 2024 to date – while families give eviction as the top reason.
The impact of those leaving direct provision on emergency accommodation provision has been the source of some dispute this past week.
The recently released DRHE report for August shows that 33% of single people presenting as homeless gave leaving direct provision as the reason, more than three times the next reason listed – relationship breakdown with parent – and four times the number who had left an informal tenancy.
The report also showed that 46% of those newly presenting as single and homeless were non-EU citizens, while 43% were Irish and 11% were from other EU or European Economic Area countries.
Our analysis of the monthly reports for this year to date show that for new single applicants for emergency accommodation, leaving direct provision is the top response in 7 of the 8 months from January of this year to the end of August.
The percentage of single people who give leaving direct provision as a reason for homelessness has increased steadily in almost every month – and the 33% recorded in August is almost double the number giving that reason in January of this year.
The proportion of single non-EU applicants seeking homelessness services has also increased from 31% in January to 46% in August – while Irish citizens made up 43% of all single people seeking emergency accommodation in that month.
*In April 2024, the chief reason for homelessness given by single persons was relationship breakdown at 22%
In contrast, the DRHE report shows that by far the largest category of families (48%) presenting in need of emergency accommodation in August gave notice of termination (eviction) as the reason for homelessness.
For those families, 41% were Irish citizens, 33% were non-EU citizens, and 26% held EU or EEA citizenships. Other reasons given for homelessness were relationship breakdown with a parent (9%)
The monthly reports for this year to date show that for new family applications for emergency accommodation, notice of termination (eviction) is the top reason given in each month.
The percentage of non-Irish families who are seeking emergency accommodation seems to be trending upwards throughout the year, but Irish families still make up more than 40% of applicants in August.
The DRHE said that there were 10,481 individuals in Emergency Accommodation in the Dublin Region as at the end of August 2024 – comprising of 7,208 Adults and 3,273 children.
The numbers included 4,664 single people and 1,467 families.
